The present invention relates to a drive device for rotating a machine tool table.
The drive device according to the present invention may be used in combination with a punching machine, which the following description details purely by way of example.
As is known, in all fields of engineering, and particularly on machine tools, drive devices for producing rotation about an axis feature a rotary electric motors. The shaft of the motor may be connected directly, or more often via a mechanical transmission, to the object being driven. For driving tables, in particular, requiring a high torque and low rotation speed, mechanical transmissions with a high reduction ratio (over 10) are normally used.
Using a drive comprising a rotary motor and mechanical transmission, however, presents several drawbacks. In particular, the mechanical transmission, by introducing position errors, impairs the control precision of the motor, and requires high-cost routine maintenance, especially in terms of the downtime involved. Yet a further drawback is the amount of space required for the drive.